Australia look to shrug off poor form against T20I leaders

It's only very recently that Australia have slipped a spot down to No 3 in the ICC Rankings. Otherwise, there wasn't much difference between them and their opponents on Monday (July 2) - Pakistan, who are at top of the table. What rankings, however, don't tell you, morale does. The severe battering Australia got at the hands of England in the ODI series that preceded them being outplayed in the 20-over format, hasn't left them in the best of the states.

On paper, even in the absence of Steve Smith and David Warner in the batting department, and four of their top pacers, they have some quality names to rely on. However, the two problems that has ailed them are the poor form of the players and the inability to find the right order, starting with their opening combination.

Pakistan, on the other hand, may not have played tough oppositions in the recent past but have been highly successful. Since April, they have played six T20Is - winning them all. During this period, they have able to try out newer players in newer roles. And now that they finally get their first real challenge at hand - against Australia - they will be having a side boasting of batting depth and variety in the bowling department.

Eventually, it is the difference in form of the two sides that will come to the fore when they take on each other in the second game of the tri-series. But with Pakistan, it is almost impossible to count their challenge without taking into account the 'unpredictable' factor. For them, it is as much as their strength it is their drawback.

When: July 2, 2018 at 10:00 AM Local time (1:30 PM IST)

Where: Harare Sports Club, Harare

What to expect: It's expected to be sunny, with no predictions of rain.

Team News:

Australia are going through a bad run of patch. They have won only six out of 16 limited overs matches this year. And despite a lot of experiment on the England tour, they are yet to settle on their best line-up

Pakistan are unlikely to tinker with their playing XI that helped them to a winning start in the series. With Faheem Ashraf and Shadab Khan lower down the order, they have decent depth in their batting.

"I've always said I'm not too bothered where I bat. Whatever's best for the team is where I'll fit. I think I fit in anywhere in the order and can play a role for the team." - Travis Head, Australia opener.